Super visa requirements 2026: income, insurance, processing times

Super visa requirements in 2026 come in three parts. The host child or grandchild must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, aged 18 or over, living in Canada, and meeting the LICO income threshold, which is $56,724 for a family of four. The parent must hold $100,000 of medical insurance valid for one year from entry, pass an immigration medical exam, and apply from outside Canada. The fee is $100 plus $85 for biometrics.

IRCC approved 53,695 super visas in 2024 and about 41,400 in the first nine months of 2025, at an approval rate of 75 to 81 per cent. With the parents and grandparents sponsorship program paused since 15 July 2026, the super visa is the only route for a parent to stay up to five years at a time.

Who is eligible for a super visa?

The applicant must be the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, and must be outside Canada when applying. The host must be 18 or over, live in Canada, meet the income threshold, and sign a letter of invitation. The applicant must pass an immigration medical exam and be admissible to Canada.

Only the host’s spouse or common-law partner may co-sign, and only if they are a citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian. Siblings and other relatives cannot. Dependants of the parent cannot be included on the super visa application.

What is the income requirement, and how is it calculated?

The host’s income must meet the Low Income Cut-Off for the family size, counting the host, their spouse, their dependants, the visiting parents or grandparents, and anyone else the host has sponsored. From 29 July 2025 the threshold for a family of four is $56,724. From 31 March 2026 there are two alternative ways to meet it.

LICO thresholds in effect from 29 July 2025, per IRCC’s forms and documents page.

A host couple with one child inviting both parents is a family of five: $64,336. A single host with no children inviting one parent is a family of two: $38,002.

IRCC’s March 2026 notice introduced two alternatives, effective 31 March 2026 for all applications in process or submitted from that date. First, the host and co-signer may use either of the two tax years preceding the application, not only the most recent. Second, if the host and co-signer meet a required minimum percentage of LICO, the visiting parent’s own income can be added to cover the rest. The notice itself does not print the percentage; the threshold applied is 75 per cent of LICO from the host and co-signer, with the applicant’s own income covering up to the remaining 25 per cent.

Worked examples apply the thresholds above; confirm the current figures on the IRCC page before applying. Income is proven with the Notice of Assessment or Option C printout, pay stubs, an employment letter or bank statements, as listed on the forms and documents page. The parent’s income, where used, needs equivalent documents from the home country.

What is the insurance requirement?

The applicant must have a policy from a Canadian insurance company, or from a foreign insurer authorized by OSFI for accident and sickness insurance and listed on OSFI’s register. It must give at least $100,000 of emergency coverage per applicant and cover health care, hospitalization and repatriation. It must be valid for at least one year from the date of entry, on each entry. It must be paid in full or by instalments with a deposit; quotes are not accepted.

The wording is from the officer instructions and the January 2025 notice that opened the door to foreign insurers. There is no IRCC-approved list; the test is OSFI’s register. Indian and Filipino domestic insurers such as Tata AIG, Bajaj Allianz, ICICI Lombard, Niva Bupa and Star Health are not on it, and their policies lead to refusals.

In October 2026 a compliant policy cost $1,577 to $2,373 a year at age 55 and $4,000 to $9,910 at 75 across the 8 insurers on the cost page. The sample certificate page shows what the uploaded proof must contain.

What are the fees?

The application fee is $100 per applicant. Biometrics cost $85 per person, capped at $170 per family. The immigration medical exam is paid directly to the panel physician and varies by country. Insurance is the largest cost, and it is refundable if the visa is refused; see refunds.

How long does processing take?

IRCC’s service standard is 112 days. Actual times vary by country and by month. In September 2026, immigration.ca recorded India at 70 days, China 77, the Philippines 90, Pakistan 92, Nigeria 44, the UK 97, the US 116 and Iran 265. India was 208 days in March 2026.

Because the insurance must run one year from the date of entry, set its effective date to the planned arrival and move it when the visa is issued. Every insurer we compare allows this before the policy starts. See port of entry.

What happened to the parents and grandparents program?

IRCC paused intake of new PGP applications and interest-to-sponsor forms on 15 July 2026 “until further notice,” per its notice. The 2026 to 2028 Levels Plan caps PGP admissions at 15,000 a year. Existing applications continue to be processed. IRCC points families to the super visa, which “allows them to visit their children or grandchildren for 5 years at a time.”

The super visa is not permanent residence. It gives up to 5 years per entry, multiple entries over up to 10 years, and an in-Canada extension of up to 2 years. It does not permit work or study. It does require insurance to be maintained for the whole stay; see renewals.

What does the application checklist look like?

Gather the documents below before starting. The insurance certificate and the income proof are the two most often missing or non-compliant, and both are within the host’s control.

1. Applicant’s passport, valid beyond the intended stay.
2. Proof of relationship to the host: birth certificate, baptismal certificate or other official record.
3. Host’s proof of status: Canadian citizenship certificate, passport, PR card or registered Indian status.
4. Letter of invitation signed by the host, listing everyone counted in family size with names and dates of birth, and promising financial support.
5. Host’s income proof: Notice of Assessment for the chosen tax year, employment letter, pay stubs or bank statements. Co-signer’s income proof if used.
6. Parent’s income proof, if using the 75 per cent option.
7. Insurance certificate: $100,000 per applicant, one year from entry, underwriter named, paid or deposit taken.
8. Immigration medical exam confirmation from a panel physician.
9. Biometrics: book after receiving the biometrics instruction letter.
10. Application fee of $100 and biometrics fee of $85 per person.
11. Digital photo meeting IRCC specifications.
12. Any country-specific documents listed by the visa office.

Submit online through the applicant’s IRCC account. After approval, the passport goes to a visa application centre for the visa to be printed; it cannot be printed in Canada. At the border the officer checks identity, admissibility, ties to the home country and a full year of insurance, then stamps the passport for up to five years, as described on IRCC’s after you apply page.

What are the odds, and what gets files refused?

Approval rates ran 75 to 81 per cent in recent years, against about 50 per cent for ordinary visitor visas. IRCC’s report to Parliament names income not demonstrated and missing insurance as the main refusal reasons. Both are fixable before submission.

Since 2011 about 360,000 super visas have been issued. India accounted for 56 per cent of approvals from 2011 to 2023, China 11 per cent, Pakistan 5 per cent, the Philippines 4 per cent and Bangladesh 2 per cent. Applicants were 28 per cent under 56, 41 per cent aged 56 to 64, 24 per cent 65 to 74 and 6 per cent over 75. Start with the income table, buy the insurance with a movable start date, and submit a complete file.